Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-19
THE DEAD PASTOR.
Some Stories About the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher.

Some Stories About the Rev. Henry
Ward Beechsr.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, March 1.-The newspapers
will be full Of stories about Henry Ward
Beecher for weeks. Here is one he once told
Of himself: At one time the faculty decided
that the religious tone Of the Amherst college,
where he studied, needed to be raised, and
resolved upon a visitation of the students
in their room for that purpose One day
he saw Professor Burgess, an immensely tall
man, making his way up stairs toward his
lBeecher's, room. and, anticipating visit from
him, he hustled all his chairs but one, the
legs Of which had been shortened one half, into
his wood closet Seated with a book, Oh
his low chair, he bade the professor come in,
and Of course proffered him the seat. Back
ing up before il, the tall professor stopped
and began sounding for 1t, and at length sue
ceedeSi in touching bottom and settled down.
bringing his knees quite up into his face and
presenting altogether a very comical aspect
For himself, repressing his risibilities with an
iron nerve, Mr.. Beecher said he stood aud
meekly awaited the expected homily. But
the professor. under the circumstances, proved
unequal to il, and after . moments inspec-
ton Of his knees burst into a loud laugh, In
which Beecher heartily joined him, and, with
the remark that he believed be would call
again, he struggled to a perpendicular and
bowed himself out.
Joe Howard. writing for New York
paper over year ago, told this story:
~Beecher was always a great swimmer.
There was in those days near Fulton ferry q
huge floating bath house kept by an old time
exhorter named Gray. Thither Mr. Beecher
used to 20 in his younger days, with head
long jump. plunge deep into the East river
waves, spouting and putting win all the
energy Of full developed whale. an expert
| swimmer, diver better than any boy in the
City Of Churches The price for bath wal
shilling and shall never forget the odd
sensation I experienced one day when, meet
| ing the dominic in the street, he asked II
would 60 down TO the ferry and take bath
| / was about years old, and not overburdenet
with SPENDING money, and bluntly told him
would like to go first rate but hadn't got thu
shilling A quizzcal look spread all over hi
ruddy face as, larrghingly, he took me by th'
hand and said: Come along; when you ask
young lady to take ice cream with you yo'
don't expect her to pay for it, do your
| Beecher's habit of reading when travelling
| on railroad trains favored both his eyes ant
| his brain He did not pore over book con
stantly, hut satisfied himself with ieisurel,
references to it After reading not to excees
! Q page and q half he used to drop the bool
into his lap and rest in reflection and window
gazing for q few minutes before he resumes
bis reading. This process of book study wa
gone over with uniform exactness When b
had enough ainwardly digested," he went int
Q done till refreshed and then bent to til
book again,
They saw that he had little idea Of the valu
Of money. and a well known writer tells thi
story TO back it up:
Il was passing the otfice Of ]. B. Ford & Co
when they were his publishers years ago, an
Samuel Wilkinson, one Of the firm. called m
in to show me the proofs Of the illustration
Of the first volume Of the Life Of Christ o
which Mr.. Beecher was then engaged. ha
admired q great many Of the prints "he
Wilkinson, coming to new one, suddenl
snatched it up and exclaimed: See that now
There Is an illustration Of Mr.. Beechers ie
norance Of the value Of money. That stes
plate cost S4OO and he has made a correctio
which compels the ere-engraving of the whole
1t was the title page, beautifully executed
steel 1t read, US engraved, Life OF jest
Christ by Henry Ward Beecher, etc. But o
the margin was written in cramped character
to be inserted after Jesus and befor
Christ a comma and the word the th
latter looking so like a capital H that
read it 50 aloud; whereupon Wilkinso
laughingly explained what 1t was. Beeche
laughed over it year or two later when
told him Of it, and admitted that the idea
the peculiar title had come TO him after I'll
volume had been written, and he at ono
adopted it without the slightest thought {
the cost to his publishers"
But everybody agreed that he was grea
, preacher. WALTER WIBERLf.